Text 100] Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya Offers Prasada to the Lord 47
Bengalis and women could read it very clearly. Even ordinary men with little
knowledge of the alphabet could read this book and understand it. Its language is
not very ornamental, and sometimes the poetry is not very sweet to hear. Al-
though according to the sonnet style each line should contain fourteen syllables,
there are sometimes sixteen, twelve and thirteen syllables in his verse. Many
words used in those days could be understood only by local inhabitants, yet this
book is still so popular that no book store is complete without it. It is very valuable
for those who are interested in advancing in Krsna consciousness.

Sri Gunaraja Khan was one of the topmost Vaisnavas, and he has translated the
Tenth and Eleventh Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam for the understanding of the
common man. The book Sri Krsna-vijaya was highly praised by Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, and it is very valuable for all Vaisnavas. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura gives a genealogical table and family history of Gunaraja Khan.
When a Bengali emperor named Adistra first came from Kanyakubja, or Kanowj,
he brought with him five braéhmanas and five kayasthas. Since the king is sup-
posed to be accompanied by his associates, the brahmanas accompanied the King
to help him in higher spiritual matters. The kdyasthas were to render other ser-
vices. In the northern Indian high country, the kdyasthas are accepted as stidras,
but in Bengal the kayasthas are considered among the higher castes. It is a fact =
that the kayasthas came to Bengal from northern India, specifically from
Kanyakubja, or Kanowj. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that the
kayasthas who came from Kanyakubja were high-class men. Of them, Dasaratha
Vasu was a great personality, and the thirteenth generation of his family included
Gunaraja Khan.

His real name was Maladhara Vasu, but the title Khan was given to him by the
Emperor of Bengal. Thus he became known as Gunaraja Khan. Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura gives the following genealogical table of Gunaraja Khan: (1)
Daégaratha Vasu; (2) Kugala; (3) Subhaankara; (4) Harhsa; (5) Saktirama (Baganda),
Muktirama (Mdainagara) and Alankara (Bangaja); (6) Damodara; (7) Anantarama;
(8) Guninayaka and Vindnayaka. The twelfth generation included Bhagiratha, and
the thirteenth Maladhara Vasu, or Gunaraja Khan. Sri Gunaraja Khan had fourteen
sons, of whom the second son, Laksminathavasu, received the title Satyaraja
Khan. His son was Sti Ramananda Vasu; therefore Ramananda Vasu belonged to
the fifteenth generation. Gunaraja Khan was a very well known and wealthy man.
His palace, fort and temples are still existing, and from these we can deduce that
the opulence of Gunaraja Khan was certainly very great. Sri Gunaraja Khan never
cared for the artificial aristocracy introduced by Ballal Sena.

TEXT 100
KAMAM BI — CAT Alsteate” |
GR aces Faatey Sta aecria VPS i 00H
